1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a safety harness, and in particular, to a floating safety harness that may be integrated into apparel such as a firefighter's turnout suit.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Firefighters and other emergency or first responders traditionally wear outer clothing known in the art as a turnout suit. The turnout suit protects the firefighter against flame, heat, and water. Typically, a turnout suit includes a coat and trousers that each have an inner liner and an outer layer. The shell or outer layer is constructed from materials that can be resistant to abrasion, flame, heat, and water. The inner liner, typically releasably secured to the outer layer to permit the liner to the removed for cleaning and repair purposes, is preferably constructed from thermal and/or wicking materials.
In addition to the turnout suit, firefighters may wear other equipment such as boots, helmet, gloves, and a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). This ensemble can be heavy and bulky. Thus there is understandably a resistance to add any further equipment to what is already in use.
Nonetheless, the nature of firefighting and emergency response requires that responders carry more equipment in certain instances. Traditionally, firefighters have carried ropes and an emergency climbing harness to help them escape safely from the top floors of burning buildings. The ropes and climbing harness are frequently referred to as personal fall protection equipment (PFE). The PFE, when worn, provides a reliable fastening point on the user's body that enables coupling to an anchor point and thus facilitates a safe escape. However, such additional PFE equipment can be bulky and therefore may not always be carried by the firefighter into the building. Even when the PFE is readily available, in an emergency situation it can be difficult and time consuming to don it. Therefore, the inventors believe there exists a need in the art for firefighter turnout gear that incorporates escape and rescue means without adding substantial weight to the ensemble.